Romeo and Juliets BANNISTER would do the play credit in this part; indeed too much as it is now patched together.

Capulet had great juftice done him by Meffrs.. SPARKS and BERRY,but is at present wretchedly off, whether we view him in that most tragical of all tragedians Mr. GIBSON, or the lefs offensive though water-gruel, Mr. BURTON-Benvolio fuffered no damage from Mr. MozEEN, though a very poor creature, but makes a better figure represented by Mr. PACKER; as to that fmirking felf-impor tant figure of an actor, Mr. DAVIS, who fpeaks as he walks, by a kind of instinct, and whom to mention is a waste of words, we wonder how even confummate ignorance with its conftant companion could make him think of the ftage; or how any manager could ever ufe him in any other light than as a dumb eunuch in fome of the Turkish plays--the other male characters in this piece we prefume not worthy remark.

Juliet, bating too quick a fufceptibility of love, is a most amiable lady; fhe is tender, affectionate and conftant; poffefled of liberal fentiments and delicate feelings; rather romantic in fome notions, but juftifiably fo from age and fituation of mind; fenfible of filial duty, yet not firm enough in oppofing it to paffion; her citumftances are deeply affecting and her catastrophe fpiritedly affectionate, though as an act of fuicide not very moral.

-The competition between Mrs. CIBBER and Mrs BELLAMY, who had both great merit in this character, feemed nearly to admit the fame ftate of comparison as we have adopted for the contending

Romeo and Juliet. heroes; one excelled in amorous rapture, the other called every power of diftrefs and defpair to her aid; Mrs. BELLAMY was an object of love, Mrs. CIBBER of admiration; Mrs. BELLAMY's execution was more natural, Mrs. CIBBER's more forceable; in the former there were traces of nonage; in the latter too much of the woman.

Lady Capulet is no body, yet we once faw Mrs. PRITCHARD make her refpectable; mistress nurse, to whom we have objected, as a character inconfiftent with tragedy, though highly finished from nature; was most admirably reprefented by Mrs. MACKLIN, and we think her petulant impertinence

is

very well fupported by Mrs. PITT; upon the whole,this play is in a truly deplorable state of action at present in both houses; and as, fixteen years ago, it was hard to fay which company excelled moft, the contention now feems to be, who are most con→ temptible.

Romeo and Juliet, though it exhibits none of the towring flights of genius, yet has many poetical beauties, expreffed in fmooth, nervous, agreeable vérfification; and takes, in feveral places, tender pof feffion of the paffions; it conveys very inftructive admonitions, rifes by juft degrees to a striking conclufion, and must be allowed, the canid praise of great merit, whether feen in public or perufed in private.

VOL. I.

Cc

THE

THE PROVOK'D HUSBAND.

A COMEDY.

Altered from VANBURGH by CIBBER.

THE Laureat, in his preface to this play, has

taken confiderable pains to do Sir John justice, by attributing the plan and most of the characters originally to him; however, a comparison between the PROVOK'D HUSBAND and Vanburgh's Journey to London will prove, that Cibber fhewed great judgment and tafte in the ufe of those materials which fortunately fell into his hands.

Though foliloquy is perhaps not the most commendable opening of a play, yet what Lord Townley offers at the beginning of this comedy, lets an audience well into the grounds of that uneasiness which fits heavy on his mind; the alarm he expreffes at the danger his wife's reputation is in from her course of life, conveys a very inftructive intimation to ladies in the gay world; and his chufing calm measures firft to effect a reformation, fhews a generous, prudent, tender caft of mind, -The fcene with lady Townly exhibits much fpirited gentility, the debate is carried on with great good manners on both fides, and a happy prefervation of temper is maintained; for though. his lordship warms a little, yet it is like a man of fenfe and rank; his mode of prefenting the bill is delicate, and her manner of receiving it pleafantly

whim

Provok'd Hufband.

whimsical, as is indeed all fhe fays through the remainder of the scene.

The fhort converfation between lord Townly and lady Grace is well conducted, and mention of Manly falls in aptly, of whom both give a good preparative character; I cannot, however, help being of opinion, that this gentleman rather feems too forward in advifing rigid treatment, when lord Townly asks his advice; nevertheless, it occafions a fenfible and inftructive altercation between him and lady Grace, who argues against her own opinion, that he may come more effectually at his.-This fcene takes a very agreeable turn, where Sir Francis Wronghead and his family are mentioned, of whom Manly gives a fatirical and laughable account, fhewing that he has a generous concern for their welfare, though he cannot avoid defpifing their folly.

If introducing fuch a person as John Moody into the presence of a nobleman and his fifter can be juftified, it may be truly faid, that he gives great life to the scene, both from peculiarity of dialect and fentiment; as to the propriety of his appearance, we cannot think there is any breach of decorum; Lord Townly being poffeffed of a sensible affability, and having his curiofity raised by Manly's picture of the Wronghead family, might very well wave general diftinctions in favour of honest John; who seems one of thofe unpolished, natural productions well worth investigation; if quality, which is too often the cafe, never ftoops to a view of the lower ranks of life, but, like a lion, with fuper

Cc 2

Provok'd Husband. fupercilious abstraction, ftalks only in its own circle, it must be very deficient in a most effential branch of knowledge.-Human nature is a volume of great variety, and he who ftudies it moft, is most likely to be practically wife; wherefore we heartily join with lady Grace, in "loving nature "let her drefs be never fo homely."

Moody's familiar falutation of Manly, his intimation that his lady is in great good-humour from a free circulation of cafh; his account of the equipage; the difpofition of the younger children at Joan Growfe's; the misfortune of the coach, its contents of live lumber within, and noneffential lumber without; the the cargo of provifions, the fucceffion of crofs events, and the fuperftitious ftrefs he lays on Childermas-day, are ludicrous to the highest degree, and as highly a finished piece of dramatic painting, as we have ever met with; nor can any thing be more in character than where John gives himself such superiority over his master, as a fhrewd and refolute hufband; indeed every line of this scene fhews a rich vein of uniform humour.

After John's departure, the other characters are called off in an eafy, commendable manner, by lady Grace's propofition of cards, which occurs from the difcourfe without any appearance of defign.-Manly's fhort foliloquy contains fome delicate remarks, and any where but concluding an act of a comedy, we fhould fay the following lines had merit; but rhime on the ftage is certainly abominable, except in prologues and epilogues.

Would